


A Better Lover

by Metric_Mayhem



Category: Layton Kyouju Series | Professor Layton Series, Layton's Mystery Journey
Genre: Attempted Rape/Non-Con, F/M, Not between the main characters FYI, Rescue Sex, Sexual Roleplay, Violence, storybook AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-28
Updated: 2018-11-29
Packaged: 2019-04-27 10:55:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14423925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Metric_Mayhem/pseuds/Metric_Mayhem
Summary: As their relationship develops further, Ernest fears he may not be suitable for Katrielle and thus, reaches out to her for assistance. She accepts, but what fantasies and whims lie in store for him?(In the same fashion as Count the Ways, this is also request-based, so if you have anything you wish to see, comment or shoot me a message! You just might see it in a following chapter!)





	1. Chapter 1

The doors of Katrielle’s office seemed even more intimidating than it ever was. The young man remembered the first time he stepped through those doors. He remembered how much he begged and asked her to let him be her assistant to show how thankful he was to her. How much he owed himself to her… But now, the relationship was quite different.

He didn’t feel as though he needed to repay her anymore. While she was still the goddess he claimed her be, she wasn’t the only person in his life who cared for him. He now had many friends he could happily call his own. But also…

He now had a girlfriend. A lover.

Thoughts he had pushed away now returned tenfold, the butterflies swarmed in his stomach.

He had to tell her how he felt. It was now or never.

Opening the door, he found the office to be completely empty, save the detective in her tea chair. Her eyes were buried in a book, a puzzle book he gave to her as a surprise present a few days ago. She looked up and smiled as he timidly walked in, shutting the door behind him.

There was no need to fear, this woman chose him of countless others to be with her. But why then did he feel so nervous?

“There you are, I’ve been looking for you.”

“You…You were?” He already felt tiny wings move from the pit of his stomach up to his lungs.

She nodded and laughed behind the back of her hand. “More like searching on behalf of Sherl, who’s pretty miffed you didn’t show up to take him for a walk.”

“Oh! I…I almost forgot! Is that why he isn’t here?” Ernest looked around.

“Mmhm, I let him out for the time being. Don’t worry though, he said he’d be back sometime later.”

“Well… alright. I’ll have to apologize when he gets back. I know! I’ll give him a few extra treats for his trouble,” he thought aloud.

“That sounds nice. Though, I’m sure you didn’t come here with such a serious look on your face out of concern for Sherl,” she smiled.

“Ulp!”

He was found out right away, although he should have expected it. She was not only a detective, but was fairly observational by trade. He felt as though her eyes trailed about his person before they returned to his face.

“So, while everyone’s away… Did you have something you want to tell me?”

The assistant nodded.

After he took a breath, he said, “I…I love you.”

She blinked, a light blush tinging her cheeks. “I, um… I love you too. But why the sudden profession?”

“Because… Because I wanted you to know that. Er…”

The room was silent for another moment while he gathered his thoughts as best as he could.

“Listen, I know it doesn’t seem like the place to ask but…H-How am I with…you know…?”

She tilted her head as she studied his nervous expression. He looked this way and that, avoiding her eyes. She can only assume one thing. “Hmm… With sex, you mean?”

“Y-Yeah, that.” They were adults, they could talk about this. He chastised himself again and again for being so nervous about the topic.

A smarmy smile crept up her face for a split second before returning neutral. “Sweetie, we’ve only been at it a couple of times. But out of those times, I’d say you were pretty good.”

Ernest rubbed his neck in embarrassment. “Only ‘pretty good’?”

She folded her arms and closed her eyes as she concentrated her thoughts.

“Well, it’s not as if I regularly engaged in that sort of thing before. Perhaps only once before you.”

He bit his lip. It was to be expected that there was someone before him. After all, she could attract anyone with her brains and beauty… He must have been someone she settled for, compared to them.

“If… If you don’t mind my asking… how were they?”

Her face soured considerably in that instant. “Horrible. Absolutely horrible.”

…That expectation was completely subverted. Never had he seen such a disgusted look on her face. She reached over to the table in front of her to retrieve the teacup that sat there. As if washing away a bad taste that was left in her mouth, she took a sip of it before she continued.

“I know it’s very rude of a gentlewoman to talk of her personal experiences, but he was the worst for a first. So I don’t think I have a good history to make any comparisons. …I wish I hadn’t met him.”

Ernest felt something stir within his chest. How could someone give such a reaction? He wasn’t a violent person by any means, but he almost wanted to slap the guy. “I…I’m sorry for making you remember that.”

“It’s not your fault. …Er, I guess while we’re on the topic, would you mind if I vented?”

“N-Not at all! I’ll listen to all of your troubles.”

She sighed. “Well, seeing as how you want to be such a good lover, I’ll tell you exactly what to avoid.”

“Um, o-ok.”

“Well, the reason he was horrible was that his ‘nice guy’ facade came to an end as soon as he got into the bedroom. The guy talked himself up pretty big and wasn’t anything like he described himself as. He didn’t know what he was doing with his…anything,” she rolled her eyes. “Even after I tried pointing him in the right direction.”

Ernest cringed. “Golly…”

“And that’s not all,” a bitter grin crossed her lips as she placed a bit of sugar into her tea.

“That skeeze guffawed as he was going on and on about his size and technique and… he was abysmal in the latter, quite below average in the former. Needless to say, that relationship ended quickly.”

“ _Goodness! She’s blunt and ruthless…_ ” he thought as he pulled at the collar of his shirt. “ _But reasonably so! This guy sounds like a jerk! And then to take advantage of her… Who is he? I’d like to give a few choice words to this so-and-so!_ ”

Katrielle sensed the anger he felt and waved a hand. “Don’t worry, he’s out of my life as far as I’m concerned. As I was saying, it’s an unfair comparison. You’re leagues ahead of him.”

“An absolute gentleman inside and out, a quick learner and very eager to please… And it does help that when it comes to size, you’re quite… long,” her tongue grazed her teeth at the end of her sentence.

Breath stopped in his throat and his face turned a deep red as he looked to his feet. “Tha…Thank you.”

She giggled. “As it is, I’m quite satisfied in that area. You don’t need to worry about that.”

His hands tightened to fists. “I’m sorry Kat, but…”

“Huh?”

Ernest looked to her with a determined look on his face. “I can’t accept just that. I don’t want you to feel just… satisfied. I want you to feel at your absolute best afterwards.”

Her eyebrows rose.

“I don’t want you to settle for anything less. I want you to crave me and only me… I want to give you everything you want and more! I want to have what you can’t find in anyone else!”

He stammered on, now realizing how embarrassing he sounded. “I…I…erm…”

A hand cupped his cheek and he looked directly ahead to see her capture his lips with hers. The warmth of her tongue slipped into his mouth and he allowed it to lick every crevice inside. Ernest groaned as she climbed into his lap, wrapping her arms around him. There was a feverish energy about the kiss he couldn’t describe. It was unlike the other times he had been with her. It felt…different.

She pulled away, leaving a small trail of saliva between them. “…I didn’t think I had such a cool-sounding boyfriend.”

The young man beamed, “You… You think I sounded cool?”

“The coolest.”

“Gosh… I meant everything I said. If there’s anything— _anything_  at all that I can improve on… Please tell me. I’m not very experienced in these things… so if you can, please teach me.”

The redhead hummed in thought. “Anything…? Well, alright. I guess there are a few things here and there that I’ve always wanted to do… And some things that I’ve learned. But I think a little experiment is in order…”

“Experiment… you say?”


	2. Chapter 2

A little later, Ernest had arrived to Katrielle’s house, as ordered. Thankfully, he had access to walk inside after she gave him a key sometime ago. It seemed whatever test he was to do, it was fairly vague. All she told him was to arrive at her home and undress down to his underwear then meet in her room.

After he stripped, he folded his clothes and placed them on the bed before sitting next to them. The young man had goosebumps, either from the cold room or his own anticipation. What could she possibly have in mind for this experiment?

_Click, click, click, click…_

He perked up almost immediately.

The sound of heels clicking on hardwood floors echoed through the hall. It was louder with each passing moment until he caught sight of the door opening. 

His eyes widened as he looked over the person that walked in.

Of course, it was the very woman that summoned him who seemed to be dressed according to what she had in mind. Glasses sat on the bridge of her nose, her hair was pulled back into a ponytail with a black ribbon, and she seemed to be dressed in a dark blouse and monochrome plaid skirt. A white coat hung from her shoulders and she was looking over papers that were attached to a clipboard she carried.

Her blue eyes lifted from the documents to burn his skin with their intense gaze.

He swallowed a lump in his throat and instinctively moved to cover his blue briefs.

She pursed her lips before she walked up and lightly swatted away his hands, tutting at him.

Why did he feel as though he talked himself into something he shouldn’t have?

“Well, Mr. Greeves. Do you know why you’re here today?”

“Um… To...to improve my lovemaking skills?”

She scribbled down something he was unable to see onto the paper. Notes, perhaps? If so, why? He caught a mischievous glint in her eyes, a sign that she may be planning something.

A pleased hum left her lips. He would assume that he told her the correct answer.

“You must excuse me for a moment while I prepare the testing materials.”

“Testing?”

Katrielle knelt down in front of him, almost eye-level with his waist. His heart jumped up to his throat as he watched her come closer until her hands caught onto a box she had hidden under his bed. That sly smile she had as she gazed at it made him...oddly excited.

He was this close to finding out her innermost desires. What she knew, what she loved, what made her tick… And this examination was a way that she could explore him as much as she wanted. Though it still begged the question of what information she had been recording. There was also the matter of the box that she kept under her bed, unless… That was the “toy box” she had mentioned once.

It was hard to stop his mind from wandering at the ideas that tugged him.

\---

“Oh, you keep a toy box around?” he had asked briefly one day. “What kinds of toys do you have? Dolls? Those little toy cars? Teddy bears? Goodness, I knew you were cute, but that’s just adorable—”

He stopped the moment she looked away from him. On her face was a look between deviousness and embarrassment, as if caught in an act she shouldn’t while loving every minute of it. It only brought confusion as he scrambled to find an alternative meaning to what she meant. Each question he asked only resulted in a low chuckle, her biting her lower lip as she stared at the opposite wall.

“Maybe… Maybe it’s best you just take a peek for yourself at some point.”

And he did, the one evening she had him over. Curiosity begged him to look, its temptation eating him alive.

“Is it...is it alright for me to look? I don’t want to intrude, but… I really want to know what’s inside! If it’s not average playthings, then what are they?”

That odd smile appeared again and she fetched what looked like a small shoe box from under her bed. With one small apology, she opened it to reveal several odd objects that crowded its interior along with photos. Inspecting the photos further, he noticed they were various pictures of him. Some of which he didn’t quite remember having.

There’s some where he was at the beach with her during an investigation; they were meant to stay undercover while keeping an eye out for the culprit. Instead, while they did find said culprit and apprehended him, they also goofed off. But what surprised him the most was… one picture was when he had dozed off. A feminine hand threatened to pull down his swimming trunks ever so slightly, almost revealing what lied below. It was caught right as he began to wake up, eyes still filled with sleep. Without much context, it looked as if he was pinned down, prepared to be touched everywhere.

One photo was where they were camping. Ernest insisted on it to get her away from work, as she was always buried herself in it for the “fun of mysteries”. But what he didn’t know was that she followed him that evening when he said he would take a bath before heading to his tent for the night. How did he not see her? It looked close enough to see every detail of the waterfall that poured over him! Was he too immersed in his own world? Was the rush of the water too loud for him to hear the sound of shutter going off?

And there were more, countless more that accumulated just one side of the box! He felt the familiar burn that filled his abdomen and moved downward. No, no… He should have questioned her for this, not be aroused! Yet, there was the small part of him wondered how long this has happened for when he was under the impression she wasn’t interested in him until they started their relationship together.

He turned his attention to the supposed toys that lied next to the photos. All of them were of different sizes, colors, and textures. These weren’t what he’s seen before and he didn’t know how they were to be played with. At least not until he picked one up.

As soon as his fingers accidentally pressed against a button, the object spurred to life, buzzing in his hand. He yelped in surprise and dropped it back in its box, the sound now dull and the entire container vibrating in his hands. He looked around awkwardly until she reached in to turn off the offending toy.

“Ahem… Er, those photos aside, that’s the, er, ‘toys’ I mentioned. They’re ah… for...for um, you know.”

His face was entirely red as he processed it all. “Y-Yeah. I think I get the picture.”

Her room grew silent for a moment.

“How long were you…doing this for?”

That question made someone as forward as Katrielle blush. “What...What do you mean by that!? Asking a woman how long she’s—!”

“No, no! Not like that!” he shook his head fervently. “I...I mean with those pictures of me! The times that I remember those had to have been almost five or… six months ago! And there’s some photos that look older than that!”

“Then… don’t you think you’ve answered your own question? I mean, I expect you to use your head, seeing as you’re a detective’s assistant after all,” she said, her eyes never leaving from under the curls of hair that covered part of her face.

He held his tongue.

“It started with just one, you know…? It was innocuous, cute even. You were happy and excited for this silly zombie movie that was on tv, saying it was the greatest direct-to-tv horror flick, and had on this goofy smile that was contagious. You barely noticed when I snuck a shot. Then...”

“Something in me wanted more. I didn’t just want that cute smile, I wanted you. I wanted _all_ of you.”

The pangs he felt grew stronger.

“But, I knew what we had… we weren’t at that point yet. You had only just professed you liked me, and I didn’t want to force you into anything. I made the mistake of bottling up those other feelings and it turned into... _that_. And it became so much harder to tell you, so I didn’t.”

“K-Katrielle...”

That day was the day he found out of her vices, the day where the innocence that surrounded them had disappeared.

\---

Ernest cried out as he felt himself being groped tightly. His mind pulled away from his reverie, he looked down to see small hands that already slipped past his briefs and were messily fondling his hardening length.

“Something you wish to share?” Her blue eyes were upon him again, staring him with such an intensity that made him shiver.

“Aaahh...haaa...If, if I may be honest, I was just looking back at how this box spurred this all. Were you… planning to…?”

“On the contrary, that will be you.”

“H-Huh?”

She smiled as she shuffled through the box and pulled out a weird torch-like object. After giving it a look over, it would seem that the top of it looks fairly similar to that of a vulva. He raised an eyebrow at her.

“Um… One of your toys I take it?”

“Nope! I got it just for you. It’s specifically for this test, as well as to improve your stamina with continued use.”

“I...I see, but what is it?”

“Oh, it’s called a _fleshlight_.”

He paused and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “Is it—Is it really called that?”

“I couldn’t make such an awful name if I tried.”

It was placed into his hand and he curiously stared at it.

“Go ahead, give it a feel,” a sly grin crossed her features.

He poked at the false entrance with his fingers, testing the surface before placing a digit inside.

His eyes widened. “Minus the wetness and warmth, um… it’s quite lifelike. Scarily accurate and well made.”

“Right? Apparently, it emulates all those nooks and crannies you could feel on the way in,” her fingers danced on his shoulders as she teased.

Ernest swallowed as he thought about it. “Right. What...What am I using this for again?”

“Your test! You’re going to use it for masturbation and I’m going to watch and record for how long you last.”

With his face crimson, he sputtered, “You’re… you’re gonna sit there and watch me? Can’t you...um, join me? It would be much more interactive!”

“Of course not! Have you never done scientific research before? The person conducting the test can’t just participate directly, that skews the results!” she pouted as she pushed her glasses up. “And I can’t record if I’m busy!”

He looked into her eyes, watching them sparkle with intrigue and excitement, a shiver running up his spine.

“ _In other words, you’re using this as a vehicle for blatant voyeurism,”_ he thought to himself.

Knowing her eyes would be all over him, knowing that he would be on display… it only excited him more. There was no denying that fact. He would happily place himself in any role that she wanted him. He could sense the tightness of his briefs stretching out just barely to fit him as well as the eyes that it attracted.

She hummed with glee.

“And it looks like you’re quite eager to get started! Shall we…? Or perhaps you’d prefer to do this in front of a camera for my perusal later?” Kat cooed.

He squeaked. “Let’s, let’s just start without it, if that’s fine?”

After a soft chuckle from her, she took out a bottle from her personal box and tossed it to him. He remembered using it once before, it was lubricant that was cold on application that slowly turned warmer over time. Once Katrielle got off the bed, he slowly pulled down his blue briefs, sighing upon feeling his erection spring free of its clothed prison.

He spread the cool substance along his length, tentatively looking at his “researcher” with glossed over eyes. She bit her lip as she watched, moving only to take down notes.

“How’s this…?”

“Very good, make sure that you’re thorough with your coating,” her voice was spacey, unfocused and lacking the professional tone she had before.

“I will. Be sure to pay attention, love. I’d very much hate for you to miss out on important details,” he sounded husky as his finger trailed up to the tip to lavish himself with lube.

Her glasses nearly slipped off her nose. “Aaah… Of, of course! You have my full attention. Ahem, did you need anything to help you? Perhaps a magazine or some pictures maybe?”

Ernest shook his head and proceeded to spread his legs apart as he lounged back. “I have a beautiful woman watching me as it is.”

Very slowly, he rubbed himself against the toy, looking away to eye her every so often. Once he placed himself inside, he gasped and shuddered. It was quite tight. The ribbed pattern inside allowed for some friction, dragging out his pleasure. His toes curled out of reflex.

“How is it?” Katrielle’s voice was just above a whisper.

“It’s quite...something. Especially with what you gave me. It feels nice.”

His hips bucked as he moved the toy, his panting audible. “Though...”

“Though?” she repeated.

“It’s not you. It doesn’t have your warmth or softness… It doesn’t make the cute sounds you make, it doesn’t have your wonderful body.”

He gave a look so sincere that she felt her face burn at the sight of it. She pretended to look back down at her papers. But it only worked for so long until he pulled the clipboard away from her. It was tossed elsewhere, out of sight. The toy was also pulled away, placed aside to be forgotten.

In that instant, he leaned in to nuzzle her nose. Feverishly, he licked against her bottom lip, begging for a kiss from her. Messily, she reciprocated, moaning all the while. Ernest eased in further, taking her by her arms and lightly pushing her back onto the bed. She barely registered that her pantyhose had be pulled down along with her underwear.

“Now what’s all this about…? I told you I’m not supposed to—”

She felt his breath in her ear. “But you’re wet...”

“Well, you’re rubbing up against me… What did you expect?” Her attempts at giving him a stern look failed when he kissed her neck.

“I guess you have a point. Does that mean you don’t want to...?”

They both paused, their mouths millimeters away from touching one another.

“Nnngh… Fine, but you’ll be subjected to another test.”

“I’ll take every test you want later, I promise!”

“We’ll see,” she smiled as she stroked under his chin with a finger. “For now, I suppose we’ll just have to settle for observations.”

She wrapped her legs around his hips and brought him close. His cock was pressed against her, nearly sending him reeling in ecstasy. He wasted no time slipping past her folds, feeling her envelope him in warmth. Without even teasing him, she managed to drive him mad.

But that was what she did best, making him want her with little effort.

Their "observation" came to a finish, her blown away by its results. She lied on her side as he held her close, his head in her chest.

She ran the tips of her fingers through his hair. "Mmm... You're improving quite a bit."

His voice was muffled. "Oh, that's a load off my back."

"Sounds more like a big load you blew," she smiled mischievously.

He made an indiscernible sound and she noted his neck up to his ears had turn completely red. The redhead nearly burst out laughing and tried her best to calm down her embarrassed boyfriend.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I couldn't resist. But I mean it, you really did great. You even got a little passionate there yourself, didn't you?"

He finally lifted his head from between her breasts. "Yeah, I guess I um... had some fantasies of my own."

"You ought to tell me sometime. It's not entirely fun if it's just one of us feeling good."

He sighed happily. "I'd love that, I really would."


	3. Hero (Rescue Sex as Requested)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anon asks "May I suggest rescue sex? Either Kat or Ernest gets captured by some villain, and then their significant other saves them... and then when they’re safe at home, they share a lovely romantic evening together? :3"
> 
> Before their "conquest" began, Ernest's first with Katrielle was after a trying time.
> 
> Word of warning for language, violence and (a very brief) rape attempt.

Gone. He was gone. _Gone._

It was supposed to be a simple case. They were searching for an older couple's missing daughter. She was roughly Katrielle’s age, blonde, somewhat petite. The last they’ve heard of her, she was shopping for groceries along with other things. So the detective decided to retrace her steps. The group had decided to separate for the time being to make the search a lot easier.

What a mistake that was. She got too cocky, she goofed off and busied herself with buying sweets and general food for the agency. A shadow lurked in their midst and she barely registered it.

A lone man struck, trying to grab her by her arms and putting up a hell of a fight as he did so. No one else seemed to pay attention to them, or otherwise quickly walked away despite her cries of help. In that moment, she saw a car pull up at the front of the store. She clued in right away upon the other person opening the door to what might have been his getaway vehicle.

“Get your hands off of her, you brute!”

The man jumped at the voice and whipped around to see Ernest running straight for him.

“Ernest!”

Somehow the young man managed to hear Katrielle from a distance and bolted to her as soon as he could. Colliding into thug’s back, they both were sent falling soon after Katrielle left his grip. The scuffle escalated to where they both were at each others necks, scratching and throwing punches at each other. Ernest was nearly choked as the assailant pulled out a pistol and stuck the side of his head hard enough to knock him out cold.

Katrielle did all she could then to retaliate and only ended up shoved over and falling flat on her back as she saw him lift up Ernest to place the gun against his temple.

“Don’t move another inch or your ‘hero’ gets it.”

He looked around to see the few stray persons taking cover behind benches, nearby displays, and even a newsstand outside.

“That goes for all of you! Nobody move… and nobody gets hurt. Don’t even _think_ of calling the cops,” the gunman slowly stood up, almost dragging the poor green-haired young man by the scruff of his neck.

The two were out the doors, where the young man was placed into the back of the car before the kidnapper hopped into the front seat. They pulled off, driving fast with no regard of how the traffic conditions were.

It all happened so fast that she had no way of responding. People had surrounded her, asking her all sorts of questions, but she was completely despondent. She stared off into the distance where she last saw Ernest, unmoving and silent.

The police had finally arrived, but it was no use. She wouldn’t talk to them, or anyone else. Why bother? They had all sat there and witnessed this but in no shape or form did anything to mitigate the damage.

They insisted on her going to the police department for questioning. Even when she was face-to-face with Inspector Hastings, she said nothing.

“Kat, come on. I know you’re devastated, but you’ve gotta say something about it. Help us help you,” he urged.

Silence.

“Anything! There were other witnesses surely, but you’re the only one close enough to see a face or maybe even hear a name!”

“'Ey, Inspector… How about letting us on the case instead?”

Hastings turned to the door just in time to see a pair of Oxford heels step into the threshold of the office. The woman wearing them adjusted her orange newsboy cap before giving a salute.

“You’re that newer DC that was working in that dusty room in the back of the hall…Lu...”

“Lucy Baker, sir!” she finished. “I work as the Prof—er, Inspector Layton’s assistant.”

“Ah, right. I nearly forgot they’re siblings.”

“Aye. Do we have a case file yet?”

The inspector nodded. “Yeah, should be over on my desk. Fill us in if you find out anything, eh?”

“Got it!”

Lucy frowned as soon as her gaze crossed Katrielle's. She knew the poor girl wanted to cry but couldn't summon the tears. Tired, angry, and alone. The detective constable knew that feeling well. She felt the same back when Alfendi went missing many, many months ago. Every day she thanked her lucky stars that he’s in one piece. It was unfortunate that she couldn’t say the same for Ernest…

Reaching out, Lucy held her hands. “Come on, Kat, let’s go to th’ Mystery Room.”

The blue-eyed girl slowly rose to her feet. Her knees were weak, her mind had long turned to nothingness, and she felt hollow inside and out.

All she could think of was that the one other light she had in her life had been taken from her.

Walking to the office seemed to have taken hours. The Yard’s hallways stretched on; the people and faces were a blur as she passed.

“I’m back, Prof!” Lucy opened the door and showed Katrielle inside.

He glanced up from his coffee cup and gave a brief wave of his hand. “Hey. Thank you for fetching my sister, Lucy. Sorry for making you do the legwork. I thought it might be more comfortable for her if you were the first one she sees.”

Alfendi rose and walked up to the chair his sister occupied, kneeling down to her level.

“I’m sorry that this happened. I know how much you love him, and I know this is tough on you. But the must be something you can tell us.”

She was quiet at first, but soon her eyes brimmed with tears.

“Al… I… I can remember only so much about it. It happened so fast.”

“You know better than I that any detail is important.”

She paused to regain her composure. He was right. There had to be something she could think of.

“Well, the most I remember was that the guy was taller than me, taller than Ernest. He had a cap and the car he took was a beaten up SUV. He wasn't the only one either. He had a partner that drove their car, but the windows were tinted, so I couldn’t see them.”

The older brother scratched his chin. “Something about those descriptions seem to catch my attention. Was there anything else you remember?”

She racked her brain, trying to remember every detail but only remembering the barest of details.

“The SUV was red… And the man had a stubble for a beard,” Kat answered.

“Ah. Yes, I’d say that matches two or three different case files we’ve looked at this week.”

Lucy, who was rifling the file cabinet, looked up in surprise. “Wait, wait, wait… Do you think there’s some kind o’ connection between that and these recent kidnappings we were told about?”

Hair deepening to a crimson, Alfendi’s original personality took over. “That’s the only detail that makes sense. I only remember briefly skimming over the locations and the victims, but no doubt there’s something that they have in common. The description of the vehicle used and the person seen. He even did the lovely task of not changing his headwear out of cockiness. Or perhaps it was ignorance…?”

“It should have been me.”

The two stopped in their tracks and looked to the distraught detective.

“Now hold on!” Lucy blurted. “You shouldn’t—”

“He wouldn’t have gotten into this if I’d have been paying attention.”

Her forehead dug into the heels of her hands as she mumbled. “I’ve wondered if I had taken him for granted before we started dating. Making him run dumb errands, do chores… Despite saying how great of a detective I was, I didn’t even know he had a crush on me until after... _that_ happened. And now… he still risked his neck, and I can’t even make up for how bad I acted. Or even clear the air with him about it all.”

“Well, there’s no use shedding tears over that,” Alfendi scratched his head.

His partner shot him a glare at his bluntness. “Prof!”

“Sorry, but it’s true. I know better than anyone that there’s no changing what’s been done. What’s happened has happened and no amount of tears is going to fix it. Rather if it’s your fault or not.”

Katrielle looked at him from behind the wrists of her arms, gritting her teeth and holding in her sobs.

“I went chasing my ghosts before, by myself, because I felt everything I cared for was on the line. And you know what? I nearly got killed. _Again_. I got held captive and Lucy came to save me.”

The girl mentioned began scratching the back of her neck, her face turning to a nice shade of pink. “Eeh, Prof… It’s not like I were the only one who...”

“Don’t,” he interrupted. “As far as I’m concerned, you’re the reason why I’m still here.”

“Prof” took his time finding his words before he spoke up again. “You want to make things up to him? You want to show him that you’re thankful for his sacrifice? Work for it. Help us save him and possibly countless others. I’m sure he’ll get it then.”

Katrielle sat up, looking to him with slightly puffy eyes.

A genuine smile crossed her brother’s face. “And you can bet we’ll get him back together. Because—Oof!”

Alfendi nearly fell over as his sister all but tackled him in a hug, holding him close. “Any mystery solved!”

“Attagirl. Alright? No more tears.” He used his thumb to brush off some that clung to her eyes.

“Hee, you make a great big brother, Prof,” Lucy grinned.

“Not a word about this to anyone else or I’ll lock you out of the office.”

“Wha’ever you say.”

Ringing sounds filled the office, causing the detective constable to jump.

“Hang on, I’ll get that!”

She noticed the phone almost ringing straight off of its receiver and answered it.

“‘Ello! You’ve reached the Mystery Room, Lucy speaking.”

A mixture cacophonous hit her ears and she pulled away from the phone for a moment. “Wh-Whoa, hold on there, sir! You sound like you’re barking up a storm!”

She paused. “That’s… not you barking, Deputy Commissioner Chan?”

“Oh. Wait, a dog’s running about through the offices? And um… you say it’s ours?”

Lucy strained her ears before covering the mic to the phone. “Inspector Hastings found Kat’s dog. ‘pparently says he’s causing trouble for everyone.”

Katrielle’s eyes widened. “Sherl…? Agh, I forgot about him! ...Geez, first Ernest and now him? I didn’t notice at all he wasn’t beside me...”

“Well, sounds like he’s on his way over to drop him off.”

The sound of the line abruptly ending made Lucy roll her eyes as she placed the phone back on its receiver.

“Better meet him at the door, just so _all_ of us don’t get chewed out,” she sighed as she walked to the office’s entrance.

Alfendi gave her a sympathetic shrug of his shoulders. “You’re a trooper, Baker.”

Moments later, a bolt of white and brown rushed through the doorway and plopped down on the floor as soon as it reached Katrielle’s feet.

“Sherl! Goodness, you look like something the dog buried!”

The dog snorted as he did his best to catch his breath. “Hardy, har, har. Well, while you were dragged off by the police, I must have tailed that beat up hunk o’ junk for a good fifteen blocks!”

“What!? But how?”

Sherl’s brow furrowed. “Don’t ask me how! Just listen! I got the license on that thing!”

“Wait, the license!? What was the number?”

Alfendi rose up and folded his arms. “Kat, why are you having a conversation with the dog?”

Kat gave an awkward grin as she thought of an excuse. “Why… Why indeed, hahah...”

She had nearly forgotten that only she and Ernest could understand him. No matter. She was far too close to finding info on the kidnappers and she wouldn’t like the strangeness of their communication stop her.

“Nevermind that, Al! Something important came up! I remember the license plate!”

He brushed his hair back, his newer personality resuming its role. “That’s… quite astonishing to remember now of all times. Please, go on!”

“It’s...”

\----

“I’m warning you both! L-leave these girls alone! They don’t deserve this!”

Ernest stood in front of his captors, arms outstretched to protect the cowering women behind him. A punch landed, striking him back onto the floor. He felt his head spin. He tasted the copper-like bitterness of blood that ran from his lip.

But he’d be damned if he gave up on them.

Their fate was one he wouldn’t wish upon anyone. A fate Katrielle had narrowly avoided: Trafficking.

A lot of them were drugged or taken at a place where hardly anyone reacted to their disappearance. Now captive and directionless, they lost hope in ever escaping, forced to do the bidding to the many faceless men that bought them.

The thought made him sick.

“This kid’s more trouble than he’s worth!” The capped man growled.

“Don’t you get it? There’s always someone willing to take a young guy like him. Perhaps even more, once we break him in...” his partner, an older fully bearded man smiled wickedly.

He reached a hand over to stroke Ernest’s cheek only for him to bite down on it in return.

“Ow! Fucking brat!”

A kick to his stomach made him double over in pain. Tears pricked his eyes, but he refused to stay down and slowly stood back up on wobbly feet. Grabbed by his hair, he almost dangled in the bearded man’s grip.

“Travis! Get some rope! It’s time we teach him a lesson in manners...”

“What about the girls, Kev’? We can’t just leave them alone, they’ll scatter like rats—”

“You think I can’t keep everything under check? Just go before I give you a black eye to match this fool!” The bearded man, Kevin, had warned him.

The room spun as the poor boy tried to focus. But he could barely keep his eyes open as he succumbed to passing out once more. When he awoke from his pain-induced slumber, he found himself tied to a chair, arms behind him and legs spread apart. His vest and shirt had been pulled as far open as it could, revealing his bare chest. He felt larger hands slowly reaching to unbutton his pinstriped pants...

“I don’t know what Kev’ sees in you. You’re way too scrawny. That girl could have easily had us set for a few more months.”

Anger burned in his throat as he listened. He cursed himself for being so weak.

“Maybe you’d change my mind. Let’s see what you’ve got...”

Ernest clenched his teeth as he struggled. “St...Stop! Please!”

A dull clang reverberated in the dank, dark room they occupied.

Out of reflex, Kevin reached to the side of his belt to pull out his pistol. But as he looked around, he didn’t see anyone or anything. His eyes sharply looked back at the young man; he clicked his teeth in impatience.

“If you do _anything,_ I won’t hesitate to blow your head clean off, you got that? Money or not, you’re nothing but a pest.”

Ernest nodded, his eyes sullen and downcast.

While Kevin’s attention was elsewhere, the loud bang of a gunfire went off and he felt the sting of a bullet that narrowly missed his fingers. He hissed, dropping the gun in response to hold his hand in pain.

It was then that he heard quickened footsteps from a distance. A blur of green and orange rushed forth and slid onto the floor for a kick that tripped the gunman over his feet.

“Kat!” the woman called out upon impact.

The detective charged in, a bat out of hell with a rusted pipe in hand. She yelled at the top of her lungs as she collided into him and sent him falling over onto his back. Katrielle had him pinned under her, poised with her weapon over her head.

She bared her teeth as she growled at him, “Don’t you _ever_ touch my boyfriend again!”

Before he could respond, the pipe came down at such a force to where it split in half. He was out like a light soon after, his mouth hung agape from surprise.

“Katrielle! Lucy!” Ernest called out from where he was. “Is that you?”

Alfendi stepped out of the shadows from where he lurked, the barrel of his pistol smoking from its recent use.

He ran a hand through his lavender hair as he looked at the scene. “Looks we arrived just in time… Thank goodness.”

“Aye!” Lucy agreed as she stood up to dust herself off. “That were waaay too close for comfort. Just watching that slimeball irked me summat fierce...”

“M-Mr. Layton too?” Ernest looked between them all, hiccuping as he cried. “You guys… You came to save me.”

“Why wouldn’t we, Ernest? Besides… You saved my sister. If anything, you have my heartfelt thanks,” the inspector smiled as he adjusted his lab coat, placing the gun in its holster underneath.

“Speaking of which… I believe there’s someone that wants some time with you. Kat?”

He looked to her as she ran to her love for a crushing hug.

All the bruising Ernest had suffered hurt even more when he was held, but he never wanted her to let go. When he was untied, the first thing he did was sink into her arms, thanking every deity for having the chance to see her again.

“Why don’t you two get going? Prof ‘n I got this all wrapped up. Ernest looks like he could collapse any moment.”

Katrielle nodded. “Thank you Lucy, Al… I wouldn’t have been able to get here had it not been for you guys and Sherl.”

“The others…” Ernest straightened up. “What about the women that were captured? Are they...are they ok too?”

“Yes, apparently the other man was seen leaving behind the operation as a means of saving his own skin once the police arrived—”

Alfendi held his head in pain as his personality switched over mid-sentence. Sporting red hair and what looked to be a condescending smile, he continued, “The fool! Amateur! The streets are blocked off at a good ten mile parameter! He’s not escaping that.”

“That’s...good.” Ernest’s eyes felt heavy. “I’m glad everyone’s… alright.”

After a long, two-day torture, he finally found true rest.

\----

When Ernest woke up, he glanced at his blurry surroundings. He recognized it as the spare room just upstairs of the Layton Agency. Late nights have been spent here, when Kat didn’t feel like biking home, or when Ernest needed a place to stay from time to time. It was almost considered a second home. There were no better place to be.

The first thing he decided on was taking a bath. He felt sore, achy and especially filthy after the close encounter with those kidnappers. His stomach nearly turned from the thought.

“I...I need to get this off of me,” he muttered.

Warm water graced his skin as he moved to sit in the bathtub. Previous soreness had left him; he sank into the water’s surface. A sigh left his lips.

“This feels...surprisingly good after everything that happened...”

Ernest spent a long while, scrubbing himself clean of the unwanted touch, tears, and ache.

Once he was out of the bathroom, he didn’t feel like hunting for spare clothes. The effort was quite tiring after washing and drying himself off, the poor lad felt so tired. He resigned to plopping back down on the bed, face first, and feeling the sheets against his slightly damp skin.

Perhaps it was time for another nap.

Just as he closed his eyes, he heard a door open behind him with a small, “Oh! S-Sorry!”

Barely lifting his head, he glanced toward the door to see a shy Katrielle, shifting from one foot to another. He shrank from her sight.

“No, no...I um...I should be the one that’s sorry. For you seeing me like this.”

“Well, I brought up some food...”

“I’m not very hungry...sorry.”

“Ah... ” She passed by the kitchenette that was across the room and placed his dinner on top of the counter.

“Do you need some company at least? ...A hug?”

He gave a nod. “Yes...Please. You’re all I want right now.”

Was there… a small growl in his tone?

Katrielle climbed into bed and felt arms wrap around her. He held her close, his head nuzzling into her chest. He was satisfied in hearing her heartbeat, feeling her against him. A hand reached into his hair and began lovingly massaging his scalp, causing him to shudder.

“Is this ok with you?”

“Very.” His voice was breathless. “Don’t stop.”

She gave a wordless hum. Another hand reached in and stroked through his now-spikey locks, lavishing him with light scratches and gentle rubs. Ernest’s sighs were hot and heavy against her midriff.

He mumbled something she barely heard. “Sorry.”

It wasn’t until she moved her leg that she understood. She felt it against her lower thigh, pulsing, rubbing. A small smile crossed her lips and she lifted his head to meet hers. Lips brushed against each other, they clumsily kissed.

She held his hand, moving it down lower and lower until placing it just under her skirt. It slipped past her tights and underwear to feel the moist warmth she offered. He knew then what he wanted.

“Katrielle...”

As he began pulling down her tights, he looked back up with a questioning glance.

She shimmied out of them, pulling her bottoms down and off before settling against him. The thought came to her for a moment, this was the first in a long time that she has ever been so intimate with someone else. Her first time with him, and it would be after a horrible event.

Did she really want this?

The detective watched his unwavering, pleading eyes.

Of course she did. There was no hesitation.

It was slow. They both meandered, neither wanting to leave the other’s embrace. Her lips trailed along every mark, every bruise that littered him. He moved and writhed with each kiss she gave. He ran his hands along her curves, wanting nothing more than to hold on to her.

Ernest gasped, a low groan leaving him as he came. He watched her bite her lip as she gripped his shoulders as the warmth passed through them. He stared at her for a moment, sensing that something was amiss.

Katrielle’s eyes found interest in the wall behind him, it seemed.

“Maybe...there’s something I can do?” he mumbled.

She held his hand, wordlessly instructing his fingers to stroke sensitive skin. Inexperienced to start, he tested the motions to find what suited her best. Rubbing, dragging...he was dreadfully slow until he saw her mouth open.

The girl was enthralled by his fingers winding her until she felt the familiar tightness in her stomach. Her body rolled with his hand, quickening in pace until…

“E-Ernest!”

In the end, they lied together, both hot and sweaty with limbs tangled with one another.

Katrielle was the first to sigh after a while.

“Something wrong, love?” Ernest whispered.

“I’m not looking forward to working tomorrow,” she pouted as she absentmindedly brushed his cheek with a thumb.

“Perhaps we can take the day off? I mean… We’ve had quite a couple of days...”

Her lips poked out as she thought it over before finally pulling the bed sheets over them. She smiled, getting close enough to where he hugged her close again.

“You’re right. Let’s take some time off to recover.”

The clients will just have to wait.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope this was to your liking! And sorry for Ernest getting so roughed up!


	4. Tickling (As Requested)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katrielle's laughter was a sweet treat to Ernest.
> 
> (Sorry for it taking so long, but I couldn't come up with much. It's just a drabble.)

Her laughter was that of an angel. This he found over time with every tease thrown his way, every silly joke told. It made his heart flutter, his own giggles bubbling soon after hers. He wanted to be the one to make her laugh, to bring about such beautiful sound from her lips.

And so he shyly approached her one evening.

“Hey, um… Kat, I… I wanted to ask you something.”

She put down the book she was reading. “Hmm? What’s up, Ernest?”  
  
“Well… you said that I could tell you about my...fantasies, right?” 

Katrielle sat up straight in her chair, clearly interested. “Oh?”\

Ernest let out a deep breath he didn’t know he had. _It will be alright_ , he told himself. _She wants this of me. She wants to know what my desires are._

“I… I love hearing you laugh.”

She gave a small smile whilst raising an eyebrow. “If that’s all you want, just give me a reason to laugh.”

“No, no, no… I don’t mean it like that, like...touching you… tickling you.”

Although she gave a bemused expression to start with, her answer ultimately didn’t change.

“I mean it. If you want to hear me laugh, give me a reason to laugh. That being said...”

Her finger flicked his nose. “I dare you to try finding every spot I’m ticklish.”

To which, the challenge was accepted. There was every moment every day where he would touch someplace different. Her neck, her arms, her legs…

It was one night where he was tending to her that he found her weakness.

Just under her belly button, before reaching her thighs and legs was one sweet spot where he drew out the most melodious laughter. As she requested, she was tied up, each limb to each bedpost.

Face reddened from laughing, skin slick with sweat… Katrielle looked vulnerable, but...beautiful.

He could only wonder what other fantasies would come true if he was open about them.


	5. To Cry Wolf (NSFW extention)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pad asks, "Could you do (if you have time and want) a Katnest story based on the story of Little Red Riding Hood?"
> 
> Sorry this took a loooong time, buddy! I posted up the sfw version on ff.net sometime ago, but never posted the full version including NSFW here. I just kept adding on and on...
> 
> A young detective hears of rumors of a wolf attacking townspeople left and right, deciding to don her red hood and take up the case.

There were many rumors about a wolf that lived in the forest. People trekked the area curiously, wondering of the consequences that awaited them. Some went missing. Some came back weak and fatigued from their encounter. The more this happened, the more the townspeople were in a frenzy.

This caught the attention of an up-and-coming, young detective, Katrielle Layton. It was strange, and sounded as if it reeked of adventure. She wanted the excitement her father and brother had the chance to experience. No normal case would do! It had to be odd and out of the ordinary. It had to be weird, something no one else could solve.

“This is it. This sounds like _my_ kind of case!” she decided.

But first, she needed to understand what rumors about this creature were circulating around. And there was one person she knew that could provide what she was looking for.

“Heeeey, Al!” Katrielle sidled up to the side of her information expert.

Alfendi looked up from the newspaper he read with a brow raised.

“What do you want _this_ time?”

She pouted. “Such a cold reception! I just wanted to know something that only the _best_ detective of the Yard would know.”

He rolled his eyes but gave a small smirk nonetheless. “Alright. Mind elaborating on what kind info are you looking for?”

“There were apparently rumors of this wolf that’s been terrorizing our cozy little town.”

“Oh, that,” he snorted. “Well, yeah. Eyewitnesses say the wolf stood on its hind legs.”

“Oh?”

He saw the sparkle in her eyes. Poor Alfendi realized that it was already too late to back out as soon as she was interested.

“Uhhh.. Let’s see… It stood up kind of tall. Almost my height, I’d say.”

She leaned in close, excitedly nodding. “Does it?”

“There have been people reporting that they’ve felt unnaturally fatigued after their encounter with it. Particularly, scratches, bite marks, weakened legs,” he scratched at the stubble under his chin before adding, “Before you go jumping into any conclusions, no, we haven’t been contacted so neither the scratches or bite marks are considered conclusive proof. They’ve never been analyzed.”

Katrielle did her best to hold in a squeal of delight. “But you have seen them, right? From the victims?”

“O...Only in pictures,” Alfendi reached for his coffee cup and took a sip. “Which still doesn’t prove anything.”

“In that case, you wouldn’t mind if went over to check our grandparents, right?”

His eyes narrowed.

“You ask of if there’s a wolf prowling about and NOW you want to visit our folks in the forest? Absolutely not. How do I know you’re not just using that as a guise for your little creature hunt?”

“Because I’ll be delivering some goodies that I plan to make that are their favorites! Pumpkin pie, blueberry muffins, apple tarts… You know how grandpa loves his tarts. And if you don’t believe me, you can come along and escort me there. I’m sure they’re just _dying_ to meet you again.”

It was mostly her fibbing a little, on her making goodies _just_ for their grandparents. But knowing Al and how he felt about their being overbearing...

Her brother visibly paled before looking away. “N-No thanks… They’re far too overbearing. Last time I left, it felt like I had to use the jaws of life to remove myself from their hugs.”

Katrielle gave a smirk. “Well, then, I guess I’ll be going all by my lonesome. That’s too bad—”

“And that’s where you’re wrong, dear sister. You’re taking Sherl with you.”

Slowly, the smirk then turned into an exasperated frown. “Awww, but why?”

“Because regardless of rather or not that wolf is actually out there, the woods is a dangerous place to be alone. It’s a long way to our grandparents on foot.”

 “But—”

“And most importantly, Sherl is _your_ pet, take him out for a walk. Or did you forget you begged me to keep him?” Alfendi folded his arms.

“He became your pet rather than mine... ” she muttered.

The man whistled for their furry companion that lied in his basket, fast asleep. A floppy ear perked up before the dog slowly rose and trotted to his owners. He shook out his fur, still waking from his nap.

“What’s this about…? I was having a nice dream for once.” Sherl scratched at his ear before looking between the two of his owners.

“Hey Sherl,” Alfendi rose from his chair to kneel down and scratch his head. “Sorry for waking you up like this, but I got a favor to ask.”

 The dog tilted his head.

 “I need you to look after Kat while she’s out visiting our grandparents.”

Sherl snorted and looked up at the young detective. “Why do I have to babysit you? You’re old enough to go about doing as you please.”

Katrielle folded her arms. “For once, I agree with you.”

Sherl was what she considered to be her first case that she couldn’t quite figure out. He was an amnesiac dog that could only be understood by a select few, her being one of them. But with no clues as to what sort of life he had before his dog days began, he’s since taken residence in her and her brother’s home as their pet.

“I know, you don’t want to, but something doesn’t feel right about that forest. I don’t want her to go alone. So... If you go with her, I’ll give you some of the steak I got as a gift from the butcher yesterday,” Alfendi gave his best smile. “Naturally, I’ll cook it medium-rare, just how you like it.”

He watched as Sherl nearly drooled, wagging his tail.

“Sounds good?”

Sherl stood up straight. “Well, now you’re talking!”

While Alfendi didn’t understand him the way Kat did, he knew exactly how to persuade him.

“Good boy,” he reached to pat his head. “Alright Kat, go make your desserts while it’s still early, I don’t want you walking around in the dark.”

She rolled her eyes. “Of course, I’ll hop to it. Thanks for all the info earlier, Al.”

“No problem. Just don’t go around tracking it alright? We don’t know if that thing is even a wolf.”

“Of course! A good lady would never get into any danger.” Smiling, she walked off to the kitchen.

“But a true gentlewoman leaves no puzzle unsolved,” she added under her breath.

Sherl watched as she walked through the kitchen in strides, collecting every ingredient to make all of her desserts.

First was the apple tarts, which she had went out the previous day picking freshly ripened apples. She was sure to pick the juiciest ones of the bunch. And with grounded cinnamon from the market, the tarts would be perfect.

While the tarts were in the oven, she started on the blueberry muffins. The dough was made from scratch, which took most of her time. But in the end, it was made perfectly and was ready to be swapped out with the finished tarts.

Finally, she finished her pumpkin pie. It was so soft, it's exterior creamy and crust flaky. It was her grandparents’ favorite and this was where most of her effort was placed into.

With all of her goodies tucked away in her yellow picnic basket, she then looked out the window to see it was late in the afternoon.

“Well, even though most of the day has passed, we at least still have some daylight to burn!”

“So, do your grandparents even know you’re visiting them?” Sherl peered up at her.

“Nope! Seeing as we’re gonna take a tiny detour, anyway. It’s a nice day for a picnic!”

“You’re going to snack on your gift before it even gets there? What kind of grandchild—”

“It’s not for me! It’s for the wolf!”

“The wolf!?” he repeated. “Are you daft!? Listen, I’ve walked through that forest plenty of times when I was out with your brother on investigations. And I can tell you with absolute certainty that there _is no wolf_.”

Her brows furrowed. “What makes you so sure?”

“From the little I’ve heard from different people… apparently there was enough hunting to where they were driven away and they haven’t been back in years. That’s why the forest hasn’t had too much vegetation, the creatures they normally prey on have been mostly gobbling it all up.”

Katrielle raised her eyebrows as her eyes flashed with intrigue. “Oh?”

“How could you not know that? You’ve lived here longer than me!”

“I wasn’t entirely aware that was the reason the forest has changed so much in recent years. I only just moved back here in the last two years, but now that you mention it... ”

She was sure to lock away that bit of info for later.

Donning her red cloak, Katrielle was out the door and quickly making her way past the few buildings that were at the edge of town. The entrance into the small thicket was just past the old sign that warned of danger. She smiled remembering how she paid no heed whenever she wanted to get lost in the forest for a while. It was strange that as much as she visited it, she never saw or felt the presence of a wolf.

Yet, there was one that made its way into their forest and presumably have had attacked multiple people.

She thought on as she walked, considering all of the possibilities for such an occurrence...at least until they reached a clearing.

“This seems like the perfect spot to set some bait!” Katrielle said with a grin.

“I’m telling you, there’s nothing _to_ bait! There’s no wolf!”

“We’ll see about that.”

She dug into her basket and pulled out a small red checkered blanket to set down onto the forest floor. Three plates were set out: one with the tarts, one with muffins, and the last with a slice of pumpkin pie.

Kat folded her arms as she scoped out her “trap”. “Hmm… It’s missing something… Aha! I know!”

Using a marker and some of cardboard that she carried in the basket, she folded it in half and scribbled down a message on its side. Propping it next to the meal, she nodded with glee.

Sherl looked flabbergasted. “‘Free food for wolves’!? Are you barking mad? That is the most… hair-brained thing I’ve seen out of you yet! Wolves can’t read—”

The red cloaked girl deadpanned. “You can read.”

“I…” he paused for a moment, appearing caught on that point. “I’m different, and I’m not a wolf!”

“Unfortunately,” she shrugged.

“You have a better chance at attracting Goldilocks, the three bears, and a family of raccoons before attracting a wolf,” the dog grumbled.

“Ever the pessimist,” she rolled her eyes. “But that’s quite fine. I’ll prove to you that there’s something living in this forest, and that something is most certainly a wolf.”

And so, the pair took cover behind some bushes nearby and waited. And waited… and waited....

The time dragged on to where Sherl fought to keep his eyes open and Katrielle already asleep whilst sitting up.

Meanwhile, on the opposite end of the clearing, a pair of pointed ears stuck out from behind a tree. Carefully, the figure stepped out from its hiding spot and slowly made its way to the blanket. Sherl immediately shot up upon seeing the creature.

“What the devil is _that?_ ”

“Huh, what?” Katrielle shook her head, ridding herself of the sleep that lingered.

She watched with wonder as the creature sniffed in the direction of the food before looking at the sign. A timid, toothy smile crossed his face before he sat down and began looking at the spread that lied in front of him.

It was...odd. he wasn’t quite a wolf, but wasn’t a young man either. He was a combination of the two, a human with wolfish features. Animal legs, a furry tail, hands that looked like paws and were hairy from the knuckles up to his elbows. Even odder, he wore a sweater vest and dress shirt underneath along with a pair of khaki shorts. Now that she looked… was that green hair and fur? Most peculiar.

“It must be my lucky day! Someone left all these desserts. Golly, I didn’t think anyone still cared for us wolves,” the creature said happily.

“So what was that, Sherl? Something about there not being any wolves in this forest…?” Katrielle whispered as she turned to look at her perplexed dog friend with a smirk.

“Now see here! I’ve never seen that bloke before in all of my time of walking through this forest with your brother. Never! This just takes the biscuit when it comes to the oddjobs I’ve seen since I started living here!” he growled back.

“In any case, I say it’s time we start interrogating!”

The detective slowly stepped from the bushes and began to creep up beside the wolf.

“So,” she started casually, “enjoying the goodies?”

He perked up from his meal to look up, ears twitching pleasantly. “Were you the one that left this here? It’s simply delicious!”

“Oh yes, that I was. I spent the whole morning making them myself,” she gestured to herself proudly.

“Thank you so much for the meal, miss...”

“Layton. Katrielle Layton, soon-to-be famous detective.”

“In what way!?” Sherl called out from behind her.

She threw a taunting smile his way. “And this chatty dog is my partner, Sherl. Though I suppose it’d be hard for you to understand him. Not a lot of people do, aside me.”

He shook his head. “No, I understand him just fine.”

“You do?” both Katrielle and Sherl asked simultaneously.

“Why wouldn’t I?”

Kat was silent for a moment. “Well, never mind that. Since I’ve told you our names, would you be kind enough to tell us yours, Mr. Wolf?”

She saw his tail flick back and forth, almost excitedly. “You can call me Ernest. Ernest Greeves was the name I was given after I’ve been taken in.”

“Taken in? As in, adopted?”

He nodded. “My mum and dad took me in after they saw me alone and lost during wintertime many years ago. Well, before they all had to move...”

“Was it because of the hunts?” she asked as she pulled out her notebook and pen.

“Y-yes. How’d you know? Or...was it because you took part in them?” his ears lowered as he looked over her warily.

“No, not at all. This was actually the first I’ve heard about this, seeing as I never took part in any activities aside the festivals. I also haven’t been in town until relatively recently.  Apparently, it was a huge thing among some of the townsfolk.”

“It nearly costed me my whole family.” The cheerful face he once had became cold and detached.

“Have you ever had a loved one taken away from you for just the sport of it? For some inexplicable fear you can’t even think of? That was what happened,” he quickly said. “Time and time again.”

A lone tear welled up in his eye. “Almost all of them...gone...”

“I’m so sorry for your loss...” the hooded girl said quietly.

He wiped his eyes with a paw-like hand. “It’s ok… Although my family decided it was best to leave, I stayed behind to continue living here. I didn’t quite belong in the village, and…I knew despite their generosity, I didn’t quite belong with my wolf family either. So I chose to live alone.”

Sherl piped up. “Now why would you do a thing like that? I’m sure your wolf pack loved you as you are!”

“...The most I’ll say is that I’m here waiting for someone.”

“Waiting… for someone?”

Sensing that he may withdraw any moment, Katrielle stepped up to him. ”Hey, let’s talk about something else. Like, um… Knowing another thing or two about you.”

Once her face was close to his, he felt his face reddening as he scratched the back of his head.

“Oh, um, sure I-I guess. What do want to know?”

She lightly kicked the dirt with her Mary Jane shoes. “Now I know this sounds kind of weird, but I was wondering if maybe you could show off your teeth a little...”

An eyebrow raised questioningly. “Teeth? Why?”

“Ahaha, I just thought you had a nice smile and I wanted to see those pearly whites for myself, that’s all. Pretty please?”

Ernest couldn’t help his tail wagging behind him as he laughed with a small smile.

“Ok, but… you have to promise you won’t laugh at me or get frightened.”

She gave him a firm nod, eagerly watching. “You have my word as a detective that I will remain completely calm.”

He took a deep breath. Almost as if he unhinged his jaw, he opened his mouth wide to reveal the sharp teeth that lined his gums.They were glistening white as if well-maintained and looked as if they could rip and tear through flesh.

Katrielle felt a lump in her throat, not out of fear, but out of excitement and wonder.

“...Nice,” she mumbled, clearly entranced.

Ernest closed his mouth soon after. “Wh-What was that?”

“Oh uh, nothing! What um, large teeth you have, haha….”

“Really? They’re quite small… at least when compared to my parents and other relatives.”

Sherl stepped back. “How...How large are they? Yours is big enough!”

He mimicked biting motions with his hands, opening and closing them in wide arcs. “Twice as big as mine, I’d say. I was um… kind of considered the runt of the pack with ‘baby teeth’.”

She took his hands and asked breathlessly, “And um… About your claws, you have them sharpened right? How large are those?”

He traced the palm of her hand with the very tip of his claw. “Perhaps a bit larger than my parents, since I don’t use my front paws for walking. Occasionally, I’d trim them so they don’t get too long for hunting.”

Katrielle inadvertently ran her fingers, over his, feeling the paw pads. “Wow.”

Her dog assistant cleared his throat. “If you’re about done _inspecting_ him, there’s still the matter of our case to get to.”

She pulled away and laughed. “Right, right. Of course. I was just doing that.”

As she scribbled down in her notebook, she was nudged away by her canine partner to talk elsewhere.

“He’s certainly an interesting one, isn’t he…?” Katrielle asked as she thought on.

“If you ask me, he has to be the wolf from the eyewitnesses. He even matches the descriptions! Tall, sharp teeth, sharp claws, and he stands on his hind paws…”

“Oh man, I hope so,” she blurted out as she stared in Ernest’s direction.

“What?”

She snapped from her daze only to shrug. “I… I mean, the description is rather vague at best. Aside the standing on hind legs part, anything large and mammalian could fit that description. Even I could, assuming I dressed up like a wolf.”

“Are you kidding? You’re telling me he wouldn’t be capable of terrorizing a town?”

“Oh, he’s perfectly capable of harming someone else. That much is certain. I just don’t think he’s responsible.”

Sherl shook his head. “Is that what your gut’s telling you?”

“Mmm. Without a doubt in my mind, I know it’s not him. But just to be sure, I suppose I’ll need an alibi from him.”

Finished with their conversation, Katrielle proceeded to trot up in front of her suspect.

“Ahem, sorry about that. Would you mind answering some more questions?”

“Of course! You’ve been nothing but nice to me.” His pointed, furry ears twitched as he smiled.

“Thank you, thank you. I need to ask… have you been… stalking about the forest as of late? Bumped into anyone as you did? Perhaps even… helped yourself a couple of times?”

She stepped closer with every question asked, an eye hovering over her magnifying glass until she was almost against him again.

“W-What? Stalking? I… I don’t stalk. And as far as bumping into anyone, I try to make a habit of staying out of sight, not attract anyone’s attention. In case you’ve forgotten, my existence is what others feel threatened by,” he folded his arms. “Also...”

Ernest then frowned at her. “Just what are you implying by ‘helped yourself’?”

“Well, for the past two or three weeks I’ve been hearing stories of people disappearing or others coming back tired and worn with large bite marks around the neck and arms… There’s nothing saying you haven’t tried, ah… less-than-friendly actions.”

His ears lowered. “That’s… that’s barbaric! Perhaps I may have hunted rabbit and deer, but that’s the only other food besides the little fruit this forest has left! I’d never go after humans! I wouldn’t like it and...neither would _she_. Plus...”

“Plus?” Kat urged on.

“I wasn’t even here when this charlatan came by. This is all news to me!”

Her brows furrowed as she processed this. “So… You weren’t even here when these people went missing.”

“No. Often enough I visit my family to spend time with them. After all, I do still love them dearly. They’re quite far, so it takes a few days to get there by foot and back.”

“That seems like an awfully convenient story for a lone wolf.”

“You have to believe me… I hardly knew this was even happening in my absence. All I ever wanted was to get along with the villagers, like _her…_ And now it feels like I’ll never have that chance again.”

Katrielle seemed to have only focused on one part of his statement. “Like her?”

His shoulders hunched as he shyly looked away. “Ah… um...”

“You keep referring back to this person almost every time I’ve mentioned about the townspeople,” she placed the magnifying glass under her chin in thought.

She saw his face flush a light pink as he squirmed in place. There must have been something to this person that made such an impact on him. Even more so… why did that all sound familiar?

“Was this the same person you were waiting for?”

Ernest nodded.

“Hmm… Were you two close friends? Or perhaps… you two were lovers!” she pointed at him.

His entire face turned red and he shook his head feverently. It was oddly cute to see how a “big scary wolf” amounted to a large pushover with just a simple change of topic.

“N-No! No! We’re not… We’re only friends! Well, childhood friends, anyway. I haven’t seen her in years, but… ”

Katrielle giggled and smiled teasingly. “Does she know you're friends?”

“Yes, of course she does! Well, I mean, I hope so. It’s been so long since I’ve seen her that sometimes I wonder if she's forgotten me.”

Sherl piped up. “Don’t fret, wolfboy. If this girl is half as loyal to you as you are to her, she’ll remember you.”

“You think so?” A hopeful glimmer appeared in his eyes.

“Ah… well, it'd be hard for a kid to forget a wolf for a friend especially if you're no average one,” the dog replied with a small smile.

Katrielle smirked. “So, still think he’s some monstrous wolf, Sherl?”

“I...I didn’t say be was monstrous! I was only being cautious! With all the talk of hungry wolves, you can’t blame a dog for being a bit suspicious.”

“He’s right,” Ernest sighed. “I wouldn’t exactly be trusting with such unsavory rumors spread either. But please, believe me when I say I had nothing to do with this. I wasn’t even here until just a couple of days ago!”

“With this, I guess it’s time to bark up another tree… Our one lead is as good as gone,” Sherl grumbled.

“That’s the way it goes sometimes when you have detective work. This just means we’ll have to look at it from another angle…” Katrielle paced around on the forest floor as she thought aloud.

“Let’s try to turn our thinking around… After the wolf hunts years ago ended, only one wolf remains. Perhaps even unknowingly, seeing as Ernest has been hiding away out of sight. One day a rumor spreads about people being attacked. Perhaps even photos that have been made for this. Why would someone do that? Who does this scare benefit?”

“Well, I’d say this: Maybe someone invented this shaggy dog story just for some entertainment. It’s not as if our sleepy little town gets much action unless your brother’s called for some gruesome crime,” Sherl sat down to shrug.

“I mean if I wanted some rumor to spread just for fun, I could have said something like… ‘my brother goes square dancing in his underwear on Tuesdays’, not cause mass paranoia among the townsfolk with possibly falsified pictures,” Katrielle scratched the back of her head.

“No, this is an act with the sole purpose of personal gain, I can tell,” she continued. “And in the case of a town that was crazy over hunting wolves, there’s only two things I can think of that people would want after that rumor. Guns and traps.”

“S-So they were going to… g-going to...” the wolf hugged his shoulders from the thought.

“Well, not actively searching to kill you, unless something huge happened. But should you have run into someone while they were out in the forest, that would certainly spell trouble for you.”

“But just for money…?” the wolf barely made out.

“Some humans are just that terrible. For every good person, there’s a bad with their own reasons for doing things. Like greed.”

He felt the anger burn through him. Money. His brothers and sisters lied dead in cold blood, for the wealth of someone else. He wasn’t able to do anything watch as the remaining members of his family left their home in fear of being the next victims of the town’s onslaught. He was young at that time, powerless. But now… He was more than able to fight, even if it wasn’t in his best interest.

“Who… Who’s responsible for this?” a voice he barely recognized as his own growled out. “Was this… the same person that is responsible for the deaths of my family?”

His voice was unsteady, as were his breaths that came out in wavering pants. Ernest stood up completely straight with teeth bared. Soft, gentle eyes turned cold, distant and sharp. Even his claws looked sharper, a frightening transformation from his meek disposition beforehand. It seemed as if his composure was at its end, an answer being the only thing that kept him from going on a hunt of his own.

“Yipe!”

Sherl was the first to jump back behind Katrielle the moment her shoulders were grabbed.

Ernest stared her down, desperately searching for something...anything that could lead to the person that has tormented his kind for years.

The detective stood strong, unwavering to his sudden change. “While I may have an idea, I’m not telling you while you’re like this. You’re not yourself right now.”

“Miss Layton, please… I just want to set this person straight. I won’t harm them, I promise!”

“No. I won’t put someone in danger knowingly. There’s always the chance for error and if that person was hurt, you won’t live to see your family again. Besides, there’s no telling what you’d do even if you don’t intend to harm. A gentleman must stay calm and think with a clear mind.”

She allowed a hand to be placed on his head. “And I know you’re a gentleman, you’ve shown me how much of one you are. Can you do that? Can you calm down for me?”

Ernest felt his eyes prick with tears. “But… they… they...”

_Gentleman_. That word sounded so familiar to him. He remember being called that by… his one friend. It was enough for him to be overcome with the familiar bitter sting of his own hopelessness.

The droplets rolled down his cheeks, falling onto his sweater vest. He hiccuped as he started to sob.

“Please… please help me...”

His body leaned against hers as he cried into her shoulder. He was distraught, confused. He truly felt alone in the world., With only so many relatives left, this forest was special to him. It was special to his friend. It was their meeting place so long ago.

Even now he felt her warmth, smelled the sweet scent of her and the desserts she once made for him. As he thought on, there was a lot about Katrielle that reminded him of her. Even the hair and eyes looked similar to the girl he had met years and years ago...

She patted his back and took the time to scratch his ears soothingly. The motions felt familiar, memories of something that tugged at her mind.

“Of course, I’ll help you. It’s the duty of every gentlewoman to help someone in need. Just focus on calming down and leave this to me.”

He pulled away to manage a small smile, his eyes still welled up with tears. “Thank you. Thanks so much.”

Her eyes widened in recognition. Something had finally clicked. She gave a smile of her own.

“Anytime, Ernest. Come on then. Let’s go to town.”

“Really…? You’re gonna lead him into town after that meltdown? Wh-What if he attacks someone?”

“He won’t. Trust me, he’s really a good egg and wouldn’t harm someone. And certainly not while I’m around.”

“But!”

She looked to Ernest and held his cheeks. “I trust him. But if he’s following us, he’s going to need a disguise of some sort…”

—————————

“Mr. Chopper? Are you in today? We have some questions for you!” Kat called out as she knocked on the door of an antiquated store. 

An older man, in what seemed like his late forties opened the door. He scratched his head as he looked between her, a cloaked figure, and their dog at their feet. His greyish-white eyebrows raised as soon as he recognized the the young woman.

“Ah, I know you. You’re that kid sister of the detective right? Mr. Layton?”

“While you’re right about me being his sister, I’m no kid, sir.”

“Oh, of course! Sorry about that, little missy. You’ve ah... caught me on an off day. The store's closed.”

Mr. Chopper was a man that had taken care of the town’s every need ever since his father had passed down the store to him. They both once started as lumberjacks that sold wood and charcoal to townsfolk to power and warm their homes. But, over time as the world’s technology had been introduced into their town, the need for them lessened drastically. There was a time however where they were once sought after during the time of the wolf hunts, if she recalled...

“Not interested in any goods today, don’t worry. I just wanted to ask a few questions.”

He laughed. “Playing detective again? Aren’t you getting a little old for games?”

“Sir, with all due respect, please stop trying to dismiss Miss Layton,” the cloaked figure cut in.

The older man sized him up with a glance. “And who might you be?”

“He’s a friend of mine,” Katrielle had answered for him. “Don’t mind him.”

Sherl’s eyes narrowed. “Something about him really ticks me off.”

“I’m doing my best to keep calm, but I don’t like how he’s treating her either,” Ernest mumbled through clenched teeth.

“Call off your growling hound would ya, little lady? Sounds almost as if you have two of 'im.”

“Sorry about that, Mr. Chopper.” She quickly turned to Sherl and Ernest. They looked away in response. “Behave… both of you. Don’t growl, it’s rude.”

“So what’s your question?”

“About your store… you’ve gotten quite a bit of business as of late haven’t you?”

“A lot of people have been coming for my wares, what can I say? Though, I sell mostly wood and tools these days.”

“How would you say that’s been going? Have people been buying wood or has it mostly been tools?” Kat lightly inquired.

“...Just fine. Everyone’s had a different need so it’s been a bit o’ both.”

He seemed cautious with his words, at least from what the detective can pick up. There was certainly something suspicious in his tone, but how could she prove it?

“I see...”

“I got a better question for ya. Why are you asking me about my store? I don’t think the state of my sales are any of your business.”

“You’re quite right, sir,” she said with a (faux) guilty expression on her face. “Sorry for being so intrusive.”

That seemed to have soften his glare. “I guess as long as you understand… I won’t hold it against ya. As a matter o’ fact, how about I give you a little deal?”

The young woman eyed him warily. “Oh? And what’s that?”

“Well, I’ve been expanding for quite some time and I remember having this nice coat that would look quite nice on a fine… _mature_ lady like yourself. While my store’s not open, I’ll let you have it at a discount… For paying me a visit.”

“Mature...” Katrielle had lingered on the word, momentarily flattered. “Well, I guess it can’t hurt to have a look.”

Ernest, who had stood by idly, crept up beside Katrielle and leered over her shoulder. Somehow, something spurred him to walk in front of her, to put distance between her and the store owner.

“Stop... acting so friendly towards her! One moment you showed her disrespect, and now you want to pawn off your merchandise? You’re incorrigible!”

His heart hammered in his chest. He abhorred confrontation with his very being, but he knew he couldn’t avoid his instincts forever. Whenever he sensed his friends and family in danger, whenever he sensed something wasn’t right… he pushed forward without thinking.

Mr. Chopper had furrowed his eyebrows. “You’ve been staring over here for quite some time. Lookin’ at her, lookin’ at me… You ain’t her boyfriend, are you?”

He balked at that, the words caught on his tongue. “W-well, I… I mean, n-no.”

“Then don’t ya think you should let her speak for herself?”

Ernest almost deflated. “I...she...”

He turned to her to see that she neither seemed to encourage or deny him of acting on his own.

Slumping, he backed off with a sigh. “I’m sorry.”

“Now then, still want that coat?” The store owner asked with a triumphant grin.

“Just a peek. I’ll decide if I want it or not after I see it,” Katrielle said.

While Mr. Chopper turned away and rifled through his items behind the store counter, Katrielle reached over and lightly touched the palm of his pawed hands with her fingertips. The hand twitched out of surprise, but ultimately curled around hers. He was momentarily reassured. This was just an act, all for the new suspect to let his guard down. She was still on his side and wanted to help him.

The relief however...was short lived. For the next thing he saw, his vision had turned red.

“Aha, there we are! I still have one left over from back in the day, and no mothballs! Still just as good as when it was first made.”

A fur coat, made with the hide of an unfortunate animal. The faint smell that clung to it, the smell that only he could detect was one he was familiar with. And that fact drove him nuts. It was one of his brethren that had been killed during the wolf hunt a long time ago, without a doubt. He felt sick to his stomach and could barely control what he did next.

“I knew it! I _knew_ there was something terrible about you! _Murderer!_ ”

Ernest tore off the red cloak, revealing himself. Mr. Chopper jumped back with a yell, immediately making a run toward the nearest phone. As if he had expected it, the young wolf bolted in the same direction. He had made it to the phone and swiped at the cords, effectively disabling its use.

“You… you were harboring a wolf this whole time? I thought they were all…”

“Gone?” Katrielle offered. “No, funnily enough. While the hunting spree did leave many wolves dead and others fleeing for their lives, there was one wolf that had stayed.”

Just as Ernest closed in on the proposed culprit, Katrielle held him firmly by his midriff.

“And I didn't hide him away, I only helped him get here. He spent years alone in the forest, avoiding all human contact out of fear. All caused by the lie your family has told… or is it better to say your father?”

“My… my pa did nothin’! I won’t have you talkin’ about him like that while he’s on his last leg!”

“Miss Katrielle… is he the one that killed them?”

Her grip tightened. “Listen to me. The man in front of you only perpetuated the rumors. His father was responsible for the deaths of many wolves. But he’s not here right now. ...If what Mr. Chopper says is true, he’s gravely ill.”

“Where is he…?”

“Ernest…” she warned.

“He… he killed them! He was even holding up He’s responsible for the forest deteriorating! He destroyed my...meeting spot…”

The wolf shook as tears filled his eyes again.

“For land’s sake! What’s this wolf going on about? Why is he crying?”

“There was a tree that I used to go to...to meet with my only friend. And I promised her I’d meet her under it when she returned. But like most of the forest, it’s gone… And I won’t be able to see her again.”

Kat frowned. “As you can plainly see, Mr. Chopper, yours and your father’s pursuit of money has caused him a lot of grief over the years. Tearing him from his family and his childhood friend… It stunted him from a lot of love and care. And even after falling in love with humans and their culture, he wanted to know more about us because he wanted to belong.”

“What would some wild animal know about belonging? It’s not one of us, it’s one of _them!_ I only started that blasted rumor to get business back! It was for my pa’s sake that I find some way to make bank! It was the only way to afford his medicine! Can ya blame me for looking out for my own?”

“That’s where you’re grossly mistaken! This isn’t just any old wolf! He can talk, walk on his hind legs, and even more so… he has the same emotions we do and even sort of looks like us. If anything, he’s one-of-a-kind! Collector’s value! Limited print!”

She held Ernest close in her arms to where he stopped his struggling and allowed her to place his cheek against hers.

“What would you know about this… thing!?” The man spat.

Kat stood firm as she placed a hand on Ernest’s head.“A lot… considering I was his friend from long ago.”

“What!?” Sherl, Mr. Chopper, and even Ernest himself was surprised.

“What… but wouldn’t Ernest have recognized you the moment he met you? I mean, really! Smell, sight… something should have rang some bells! Are you sure you’re not pulling my leg?” Sherl was less than convinced. “Even more so, you acted as if he was a total stranger!”

“That’s the thing… He did recognize me. I just don’t think he noticed.”

The green-haired wolf was silent as he processed the sentence. “I...recognized you?”

She nodded. “Remember earlier when you were so sad and confused that you leaned onto my shoulder?”

“Yes…?”

“You allowed yourself to be taken in by what was virtually a stranger, allowing her to hold you and sooth you… Not many would allow for that so quickly, not even the most saddened. No, you did it because something in you drove to do what was familiar!”

Sherl frowned. “Are you sure it isn’t because this guy just developed a trust from you feeding him?”

“Nope! Allow me a moment to explain… the reason that this lone wolf had trusted the beautiful, mysterious hooded maiden!” Katrielle’s voice echoed in the spacious shop.

“Who’s this beautiful maiden? Did I miss her while I was talking to you?” the dog asked, scoffing as he did.

“You see, long ago… This big ol’ wolf was a tiny wolf puppy that was always picked on by some of the town’s terrible children.”

\---

_“Get a load of this weirdo!” One boy pointed at the wolf-eared child._

_“What IS_   _he?” Another one frowned in disgust._

_“Looks like some kid in a wolf get-up to me!”_

_“Ahhh! That’s no costume! His tail just moved!”_

_The boy that started his teasing had walked up and started pulling at the ears, causing the wolf child to howl in pain and yip helplessly in return._

_“Ewww! He IS some weird wolf!”_

_“Wait, isn’t your dad a hunter? Quick! Go get him and tell him we found a wolf!”_

_“But that thing’s small and scrawny!”_

_The children had continue to tug at his tail and ears as they called him names, ignoring his whimpering and barking._

_“Hey! Leave that little guy alone!” A girl’s voice pierced through them._

_Bright blue eyes stared at the scene angrily. “You ought to be ashamed of yourselves, picking on a defenseless creature!”_

_“That’s no defenseless creature! That’s a wolf! ...I think. Whatever it is, it’s definitely not normal and it might grow up into something big and mean!” One of the children stepped up to her._

_“Well, duh! If you guys keep being mean, of course he’s gonna grow up mean! What did he do to deserve being pulled at and called names?” The young girl stepped closer, raising a fist up at him._

_“Dad said if these wolves keep coming around, all of the people are gonna get eaten some day. That’s why we gotta get rid them, you can’t trust them!”_

_“Oh yeah? Sorry to say, but your dad’s a weenie!”_

_“What’d you say!?”_

_She pushed past all of them to stand in front of the teased creature. “Wolves don’t mess with other people unless their territory is being threatened or if someone’s being mean. Like what you guys are doing!”_

_“What are you, their protector?”_

_She turned to the child behind her to find that he stared up at her with big, pleading eyes. He whimpered as he nudged against her arm, clinging to the red cloak attached to her. That’s when she knew that he was harmless, that he would never harm an innocent being._

_“Yep, I am! If you’re gonna lay a hand on him, you’re gonna have to go through me first.”_

_“Yeah right, what’s a little girl gonna do, cry?”_

_Without missing a beat, she walked up to him and gave his knee a swift kick in response. As the boy fell over, he started tearing up. His friends stared up at her._

_“No, but I guess you will,” she sneered. “That’s how it feels to be bullied. What about the rest of you? Want to try picking on him now?”_

_They all shook their heads and left quickly to go back to town in fear, leaving their one friend behind._

_Finding himself without help, the kid cried as he picked himself off the ground and ran for home._

_“And you better not tell the adults about him or I’m telling them you were picking fights again!”_

_Happy to see his tormentors finally gone, the wolf child licked her cheek gratefully as he yipped._

_“H-Hey, quit it! That tickles, haha!”_

_He frolicked around her, nudged at her side… With her responding so well to his presence and playfulness, that must have meant she was his friend. Or at least that what he thought._

_“What’s your name, little guy? Do you have parents?” she asked._

_Of course, he knew his name and he most certainly had parents. He barked his answer but…_

_“Huh… I guess the language barrier IS a bit of a problem. Ok, I’ll start then. My name’s Katrielle! Kat-tree-elle…”_

_He did his best to mimic her. Vocal chords he hardly used for speech had rattled in his throat as he hoarsely said, “Kat...trellellel...”_

_“Oh! You can talk! Er… a little anyway,” she giggled. “Kat...tree...elle.”_

_“Kat...trellel?”_

_“Hmm… Ok, how about just calling me Kat?”_

_He nodded as if he understood. “Kat!”_

_“Yeah! Good job!”_

_Ear scratches and smiles had made his day then, especially from a new friend. From that day forward, the two were almost inseparable. Underneath the old oak tree they would meet for fun and games, and even speech lessons, courtesy of Katrielle._

_The time they shared, however, came to an end about two years later. She had to leave the town, as her brother had a job opportunity in the city and he would rather not leave his little sister behind, even if their grandparents lived out in the woods._

_Leaving behind her new friend was the hardest decision she ever made as a child._

_“You’re… leaving?”_

_“Yeah… my big brother’s moving so I have to go with him too.”_

_She could already see his lips turning into a pout, his eyes welled with tears._

_“But, but… I thought we’re friends…”_

_“Of course we are, silly puppy! We’ll always be friends, even when we’re far apart.”_

_“Will we see each other again?”_

_“Yeah! When we do, it’ll be right here! Right by this tree… We can meet up here and continue where we left off. Just think, the next time I see you, we’ll be bigger and better than we are now.”_

_“Then I’ll wait! I’ll wait for as long as it takes! I’ll grow up to be bigger and stronger and then...I’ll protect you, just like you did for me!”_

_Katrielle smiled sadly as she placed a hand on his head. “Grow up to be a gentleman, ok?”_

_He tilted his head. “Gentle...man?”_

_Her fingers combed through his hair. “Mm. It means I want you to be strong. But I want you to be nice and gentle too.”_

_Close to tears, he sniffled as he nodded. “O-Ok… I’ll be the best gentleman, so...so when you come back, you’ll be proud!”_

—————

_“_ And so… I didn’t return until about two years ago. And I didn’t see him until today.”

Sherl sniffed. “So… you didn’t see him for _nine_ years?”

“Yeah...It was hard, losing a childhood friend then. But it’s good to see that he’s still here and living well, despite all of that. Back then, I’d always be there to comfort him and protect him so… I remember being scared of leaving him alone for something to happen.”

Mr. Chopper was silent long before he asked, “You’re tellin’ me that I’m responsible for destroying your home?”

“The blame isn’t on you alone, your father has had a hand in it too.”

“If you do anything, please just take care of my pa while I'm gone… Please.”

Katrielle's eyebrows furrowed. “That’s for Ernest to decide, don’t you think? You've done more than enough to be reported to the authorities for animal cruelty, environmental destruction and more. As for your dad, I’m sure he could at least have a caregiver to help should something happen.”

The man looked to the young wolf for mercy. Ernest had a heavy heart and was more than willing to let him go to prison and serve a steep sentence for what happened to his home. But…

“...Let’s just go.”

Dumbfounded, Sherl cocked his head. “Wait… Are you sure about this? That guy’s responsible for your home getting destroyed and your family being seperated! You’re just going to forgive him?”

Ernest crossed his arms. “Don’t misunderstand, I’m not forgiving him. It’s just that… It’s not right to tear one family apart for the sake of another, even if he is the one responsible. If his father is as gravely ill as he says, well… Mr. Chopper’s imprisonment may put him in peril. A gentleman doesn’t act selfishly.”

Just as a sigh of relief left the older man’s lips, he continued, “ _But!_ That doesn’t mean you’re just going to get off scot-free! If I leave you be, I’ll do it on two conditions.”

“What… What do you want?”

“One, no matter how long it takes, you _will_ restore the forest to what it once was. Every tree, every bush, every animal that’s ever migrated because of you, they _all_ must come back.”

“But that could take decades!”

“Then it’s best to get a move on, starting now.”

“And the other thing?” Mr. Chopper meekly asked.

“I want you to stop the rumors. Everyone thinks its me attacking everyone and I wasn’t even present when it all happened. I’m already feared enough as it is and...and now there’s some that may kill me if I’m caught. I know about your standings, all the people in town trust you. So… please clear my name.”

He stared at the wolf in disbelief. “Alright, consider it done.”

He nodded. “Then you won’t have to worry about me coming back ever again.”

Ernest picked up the forgotten cloak off the floor and donned it once more.

“Thank you so much, Kat.” Underneath the cloak was a smile.  “Even after so long, you… protected me yet again. Promise we’ll meet up again soon, ok?”

“Ernest…”

“Then… maybe we can have fun the way we used to. And I can thank you properly, um...if that’s ok with you.”

“Of course! Same place?”

“Same place.”

The two stared at each other in silence before he made his way for the door. He had left so quickly that he nearly vanished out in the streets as he headed for home.

“This guy… I can’t believe he didn't cut me down to size,” Mr. Chopper mumbled aloud.

“He’s not mean-spirited, like you were. I wouldn't waste this chance to make things right, seeing as you have over nine years of destruction to fix.”

With that ending statement, she scooped up Sherl into her arms and left the man to think about his actions and about the wolf that spared him.

———————————

It was a few days before she made her way back into the forest, a basket in one hand and a small terracotta pot in the other. Thankfully, no further incident occurred after she left Mr. Chopper and a surprising change had come through him.

He had silently turned himself in.

While the laws surrounding the destruction of nature is vague in his case (the town felt as if there was no reason for it at the time), he was insistent that he would serve time, even by community service to pay for his misdeeds. The guilt had finally caught up to him, especially after seeing how personally he had affected someone. It was worse for him, given that the one he thought would punish him had only asked that he restored his home and to have the terrible rumors end.

Her thoughts stopped as she heard the soft footsteps. Eyes surveying the area around her, she placed down her things onto the forest floor and tried to anticipate what would happen next.

A large shadow pounced from its hiding place, latching onto her before lifting her right off the ground to spin around with her. She squealed, laughing as her new—or rather old—friend had her in his clutches. It would seem he had gotten much, much stronger since their childhood days to be able to do so with ease.

He chuckled. “Did I do it? Did I surprise you? I’ve been working on my sneaking for quite a while.”

“Well, maybe a little… You’ve certainly improved from when you were a puppy.”

Ernest’s tail wagged as he looked at the items that were placed on the ground. “What’s all this?”

The redhead picked up the clay pot first. “I wanted it to be a surprise but… I wanted to replace the tree we used to go to… where we met so long ago.”

His eyes glimmered before he looked to her sadly. “There...isn’t really a way to replace the memories that came with it though.”

“Of course not,” Katrielle shook her head. “You can’t replace memories, but you can always make new ones. And… I want to make new ones with you. To pick up where we were last. That’s why I brought along this oak sapling.”

He stared at her. “Make new memories... with me?”

“Mmhm. And I’ll need your help planting it. One day, it’ll grow to be as tall and great as it was when we met. By then we’d have loads of new memories to make up for it all,” she said as she placed a hand on his cheek.

He leaned his head into her touch, allowing the warm feeling from her to spread.

“Sounds good?”

“Yeah… I’d really like that. I really would.”

Upon walking to where their old oak tree once was, Ernest set to digging out a spot for their new one. Eagerly, his paws scraped up the topsoil of the earth while Katrielle removed the sapling from its pot. Now planted, the sapling poked out of the ground, a sign of a long life ahead of it.

“I’ll guard it with my life,” he said with determination.

“That reminds me. There was something I think you should see,” Kat said as she rummaged through the picnic basket she carried.

He was given a newspaper to peruse. “Huh? 'G-Guardian’!?”

The young woman laughed at his bewildered expression. “Yes, the town’s under the impression that you’re a forest guardian that came to Mr. Chopper to stop him from destroying the forest. All a story he spun to stop anyone from hunting you.”

“So that explains why there were people waving at me and trying to take pictures. There's also been a few that were planting trees here and there too.”

Ernest turned his head to look out into the rest of the forest wistfully. “I heard a lot of people say how they missed the blueberry bushes or how they used to climb onto the trees and fall asleep in the shade… Each of them brought something they wanted back here.”

“That’s great! It’ll be a long while but… maybe one day your folks might migrate back here.”

“I hope so.”

While he seemed happy enough, she could tell a lingering bitterness belied his voice.

Katrielle pulled a blanket from her basket and laid it out on the ground to sit on. She patted a spot next to her, prompting him to sit. And that he did, a sigh heaved as he placed his elbow on his knee and his head in his pawed hand.

“A lot of things are looking up, but I don’t think the true healing starts until you’ve accepted everything,” she started.

“I have. It’s just… As much as I want to celebrate, these were the same people that wanted me and my family dead. The same people that bought their skins to wear and believed we were attacking them. I guess what I mean is… how can I trust they won’t do the same thing again?”

His friend closed her eyes. “I wonder… I suppose maybe it’s in the same way you trusted that I would return see you someday, even after being separated for years.”

“You’re different, Kat. You’d never do those kinds of things. You’re not like them,” he shook his head firmly. “Protecting me and being friends with me… it’s something they would never do.”

“They’re different too. Every person is different with their own goals and feelings. I’m not saying you need to trust them or even forgive them all at once, but you shouldn’t let the past weigh you down like this.”

His ears droop as he said silently, “I know.”

A few minutes passed before he spoke up again. “It’s… going to take a long time before I really trust them, as much as I loved watching them. It’ll be even longer until I’ve forgiven them, if not for them but for me to heal. For now, I’d much rather be with you.”

She stared at him, her blue eyes bearing into him as she tried to decipher what he had just said.

His face turned red as he realized the context of his words. “I mean, fr-friends with you! I’d much rather be friends with you! You know, like the old days! But that’s not to say that er, being with you is bad! I mean—oh bother...”

Ernest had put his face into the heel of his hands, his tail seeming to wag in circles as he thought of his next words.

Tossing a knowing smile, she answered, “I know what you mean. Settle down.”

He sighed. “That...that aside, there is still the matter of me repaying you for helping me out back there.”

“Don’t worry about it. Consider it a friendly favor.”

“Not this time. I want to do something… anything for you.”

She hummed, thinking of what would be the best option.

“Alright then. What would you say to being my best assistant?”

“Assistant? As in… your helper?”

“That’s right. I’ll admit that despite becoming a detective, there are some things I...lack. And I feel you’d be a good fit to help me with that. What do you say?”

“What do I say?” he repeated incredulously. “Yes, of course! I’d love to!”

Excitement drove him to make a small leap toward her, placing his arms around her and happily licking her cheek. His weight toppled the two over, with him on top of her.

Giggles turned to full blown laughter as he lapped away.

“Hey—hahahaha! Stop, that...that tickles!”

Katrielle held his head in her hands, moving herself close to touch his nose with hers. There was something to him that she couldn’t describe. Something she didn’t remember him having.

“You’ve grown up quite a bit, but you’re still clinging on to me any chance you get, eh?”

“Can I help it? You're back! And better yet, you’ve helped me out of another jam.”

“It’s what detectives do,” she shrugged her shoulders.

“And not friends?” He playfully pouted at her.

She rolled her eyes. “ _And_ friends. Though… We don’t seem to look like just ‘friends’ right now.”

Ernest seemed surprised at first, a light blush tinting his cheeks. But he made no attempt to move away. Instead, he silently looked around him before looking back to her.

“Should I move?”

She watched his tail sway slightly behind him before saying cryptically, “...No. That’s fine. Stay right there.”

Katrielle remembered her thoughts prior to the case she had, the possibility that she would be captured and trapped underneath a brutish creature. Remembering the idea of being littered with scratches and bites or even how sore her limbs would be after such an _encounter_...it gave her goosebumps. It was very much the same situation here, she was trapped, but only because she allowed it.

After seeing those claws and teeth, she was even more determined to be closely acquainted with them.

His eyes were sharp, not unlike the time she saw him angry. She caught his tongue running along the tips of his teeth as he watched her. There was a certain intent behind his expression, but he only watched her to find out what she was thinking.

His voice was low. “You look as if you have something on your mind...”

“Are you sure you’re not talking about yourself?” Kat countered.

“I suppose I can confess that much. But I’d say it’s nothing compared to you.”

Ernest sat around her thighs and she felt something stiff rub against her knee. She barely contained a small gasp. Slowly, he ground against her leg as he stared her down. The tight, warm feeling in her chest spread down to her hips.

The momentary fog in his head seemed to have lifted as his ears perked up. Eyes peering around, he slowly rose.

“S-Sorry,” Ernest mumbled.

The haze she was under was still ever present. “What for...?”

“You know, th-that. We’re out in the open so...something or _someone_ could be around, watching us. Normally, everything is still and quiet, but there might be some more traffic now with the forest restoration underway. It’s just something I sense.”

“Do you hear anyone right now?”

He paused as he recollected himself and listened carefully. “No… I hear birds and maybe some rabbits.”

“Would you care if they were witnesses?”

The khaki shorts he wore felt surprisingly tight then. “Excuse me...?”

Her eyes focused on them, her lips lifting up to make an innocent smile. “While I’m sure they can tell their friends, it’s not as if they can tell anyone we know.”

He wondered how she could think of such things when they were so close to doing such debaucherous actions out in the forest clearing. Then again, she was always bold, no matter the circumstance. That much had never changed, he realized.

However, much more had. She was smaller, now that he had grown past her height. Her hair, long and curly, had made the loveliest waves that spread out on the ground. And now that he noticed, she had developed curves that were hard to ignore…

Ernest felt unusually hot, his mouth had opened slightly to pant.

“You’re drooling,” Katrielle reached up and wiped off the side of his lip.

The hairs of his neck and tail stood on ends.

“Come on, I know what you want to do... You want to rip everything off. You want me naked and under you.”

Her smile had turned devious. Memories of how she goaded him into following her into trouble returned. Was this the same?

A hand rubbed and scratched at his stomach, causing him to pant louder in delight. As it reached lower…

Oh, the temptation. His hips thrusted against her palm.

She cooed at the response. “Mmm...So hard, and you’re so eager too, aren’t you?”

“Kaaaaat, you’re making it woooorse...” he whined.

A finger was placed on his lips to quiet him. “Shhh…”

Katrielle undid the button and zipper to his pants, pulling them down past his thighs. She was met with the dripping head of his cock. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him cover his mouth to quiet his needy panting and whimpering. More clear fluids dribbled out as she stroked his length.

She gave him another glance. Now that he was partially undressed, she noticed how unique her “friend” really was. His torso to his thighs had matched that of a man, while the rest of his legs were completely wolf-like. _Just like his arms,_ she thought to herself.

Her fascination only grew as she lifted his shirt higher, revealing toned skin underneath.

She hummed her appreciation. “Come now, wouldn’t you rather be true to your feelings? This is only the second time you've seen me in years. Tell me. Tell me what you plan to do to me.”

His eyes glanced away. “Aloud?”

“Only loud enough for me to hear.”

He took a deep breath as he steeled his gaze. “I saw it in your eyes. The way that you stared at my teeth, my claws…  Even yesterday when you were asking me questions during the investigation, your attention was elsewhere.”

“Huh? What...what are you talking about? My thoughts were on the investigation the whole time!” her smile was more than dubious.

“It’s not like a gentlewoman to lie so blatantly. Even more so, tease me until I’m...I’m like this.”

He bared his teeth and watched her swallow in response, running her tongue over her lips. That was proof enough, she wasn’t just attracted to him alone. The very things that others had feared, she had loved and even craved for.

“I’ll tell you what I’ll do...”

One of his hands had pinned both of hers above her head. The other hand he was sure to brandish his claws. He watched as she smiled and did her best to stay composed. But even he could see that despite the quick change to a neutral look, her patience waned. And he would take that chance to wind her up as necessary.

“What you described was what I had in mind but… that would be a fairly rude gesture to start without at least tending to you first. And...and then maybe I’d do other things.”

He started with a soft peck on her lips. The feeling alone was electrifying. He gave her another, and another until he greedily licked at them. Kissing her was something he had always wanted to do after she had left and what he had yearned for but never had the opportunity to do so.

She tugged a hand from his grip and gently nudged his head back. Pinching his cheeks between her fingers, she coaxed him to open his mouth slightly.

“...Silly puppy. If you’re trying to kiss me, this is how it’s done.”

Tilting her head, she met him with a gentle, but passionate kiss of her own that made his head spin. It was then he felt the warmth of her tongue graze his teeth, the bubbly laughter that came from her when she pulled away to rest her lips on his.

“Those are nice...” She whispered breathlessly.

He let out a sigh, seeming frustrated. “H-hey… Come on, let me touch you.”

Katrielle gave him a teasing smile that broke away any hesitation he had.

“Then touch me. I’m waiting.”

The sound of ripping had snapped her focus back to him and she found the top she wore in pieces all over the ground. She squealed upon feeling his nose press against her neck. He sampled her scent, her taste. He committed it all to memory.

“Wonderful… You look...you feel so wonderful...”

Similarly, her skirt, underwear and even shoes were pulled off and tossed aside. The pads of his thumbs traced down to her breasts to give a small squeeze. She let out the sweetest moan he had ever heard. The feeling of her, the sounds she made...a certain part of him throbbed in delight. To which he rubbed against her inner thigh.

“Nnngh… I can’t wait anymore...” she whispered.

Her legs wrapped around his hips trapping him in place.

While her voice was lower than any normal person could hear, he heard it plain as day.

“Fuck me…”

His eyes dilated. He couldn’t fight his urges any longer. The warmth she offered, the tightness of her core...How could he help himself? Restless, he pounded into her over and over. Her mouth opened wide to moan out in pure rapture. Such a reaction made it all the harder to control himself.

She moved with him, mewling as he lightly nibbled at her neck. Once he pulled away, he was treated to the sight of her in only her red hood, panting as she looked back. A hungry smile played her lips.

“You know… I remember this one spot that always made you nuts...more than any other spot I tried to scratch,” Katrielle managed to say between breaths.

His mind, preoccupied with his current actions, could barely speak.

“Arwoo?”

“Let’s see… that was riiighhht...”

Her hands ran down his back until reaching just around his tailbone.

“Here!”

Pleasure shot up his spine as she began scratching around the base of his tail. Out of reflex, his hips bucked into her, hitting a spot that was pleasantly ticklish. She giggled, both at her rediscovery of a memory of him and odd feeling that he gave.

Her sweet bubbly laughter turned into sultry moans that filled the air. She held him close as she came undone, calling out his name.

Ernest fell apart as well. The scratches, the delicious sounds she made… It drove him to do something he hadn’t done in so long.

He howled, long and loud. It was much akin to how any beast would sound with so much excitement. Embarrassment followed, as he remembered he was trying to be quiet so no one else would find them. His ears perked up as he tried to listen to his surroundings once more.

“Will you...relax?” Katrielle asked, exasperated.

“In...In case you’ve forgotten, we’re in the forest clearing! Someone could be around and you’re…”

Ernest’s face turned red as he remembered he tore her top completely. As well as the minor bite marks that littered her neck… She looked as if she had fallen victim to a wolf attack.

“Oh my goodness, I’m...I’m so sorry! I completely ruined your outfit! 

She waved him off. “Heh… I’d say that’s the least of my worries. Though, returning home normally might bring about suspicions.”

“H-here, at least take my shirt for the time being… I’ll get you home. Is your house still on the edge of town? Or did you move elsewhere when you returned?”

“Yup, it’s still that little old cottage near the forest entrance. Luckily, we got it back before anyone had the thought to buy it.”

He placed his shirt over her head and it fit just down to her hips. She turned about, almost as if she was modeling a new dress.

“Well, it certainly feels nice and warm...” she mused. “And...”

Katrielle pulled up the bottom hem to give a sniff. Well, it seemed more like she only inhaled to give a satisfied sigh.

“So that’s how you smell. Kind of clean, but, has that forest-y scent.”

“St-Stop sniffing my shirt! You’re not even wearing anything underneath! Your legs are showing!”

Trails of white dripped down her thighs and she giggled, seeming perfectly content in her current state.

“Well, I don’t mind if _you’re_ the one watching me.” She smirked at him doing his best to keep his eyes off of her.

“Please don’t tempt me again, we’ve already engaged enough for one day.”

After re-adjusting his pants, he knelt down and waved at her. “Now come on. I need to make sure you get home before someone sees.”

“Roger!” After gathering her things, she hopped and latched onto his back.

Ernest took off, dashing through the forest as quickly as he possibly could. Such speed and dexterity made it seem as if they were flying. The wind flowed through Katrielle’s hair, the shirt she wore had rippled in the breeze. It was exhilarating!

As for reaching her home...

Trouble awaited them just ahead. Alfendi and Sherl both searched the perimeter, calling out to Katrielle.

The young woman in question pouted. “Geez! Really? I’ve only been gone for—”

“Kat, it’s almost sundown,” Ernest interjected. “I um, must have kept you for most of the day.”

“Still. I’m a grown woman. I know I’m the only family he has, but they still shouldn’t be _this_ worried for me. Now how am I supposed to get in?”

She noticed Ernest eyeing both of them as his tail wagged cautiously. Perhaps he was keeping track of their movements in hopes of an opening? Just as Alfendi began to wander further away from the house, the wolf took that chance to make a mad dash toward the house. If he remembered correctly, Katrielle’s room was on the second floor—something he would normally use the trellis just beside her window to climb up. Except…it had been completely worn down over the years.

It would be nigh impossible to scale safely to her room. Or at least, it should have.

The speed of his running had carried the two up the backside of the house, higher and higher until they reached the window. Ernest nearly struggled to open it, but with one swift push up, he pulled himself up into the room and quickly shut the window behind him.

They both fell onto the hardwood floor unceremoniously with a thud.

“My...My lungs...are on...fire...” Ernest hoarsely made out.

He then found himself on his back from Katrielle hopping just on top of him.

“You’ve gotten strong over the years,” Katrielle mused as she grinned.

She ran her hands over his stomach, scratching it again as she cooed. “Yes you have, yes you have!”

Far too tired to respond, Ernest took to lying back and allowing her to continue rewarding him with attention. His tail flopped around happily.

“I can certainly get used to this...”

There was the matter of hiding before her brother takes notice, but that was nothing a little brain power wouldn’t fix.


End file.
